Train-pipe coupling.



J. BLACKBURN.

TRAIN PIPE GOUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. I, 191s.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914-.

5 SHEETS- J. BLACKBURN. TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 1l 1913. 4 1, 106,61 9. Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f3' Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

5 SHEBTSSHEET 3.

J. BLACKBURN.

TRAIN PIPE GOUPLING.

FILED J, BLACKBURN.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

J. BLACKBURN.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.v

APPLICATION IILBD FEB. 1, 191s.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

JASPER BLACKBURN, OF' KIRKWOOD, MISSOURI.

TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

Moenia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

' i AApplication filed February 1, 1913. Serial No. 745,619.

To all 'whom 'it mag/concern Be it known that I, JASPER BLACKBURN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kirkwood, St. Louis county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Pipe Couplings, of which the following` is `a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in train pipe couplings, and the prima-ry object of my invention is to construct train pipe couplings in which the train pipe `terminalsextend at right angles to the line of impact, and to construct at least one of each pair of the coupling-members with a jaw movable in a direction at right angles to the line of impact and spring-held toseat against the train pipe terminal of an adjacent car.

A further object of my invention is to construct train pipe couplings arranged to connect a plurality of train pipes and to provide means for selectively connecting a 5 given train pipe on one car with a like train pipe on' an adjacent car, regardless of the arrangement of the train pipes on any car.

A. further object of my invention is to construct companion train pipe coupling` members in such manner that one coupling member may be rigidly secured to one car and its companion member flexibly secured to another car yet arranged to be rigidly held in the first mentioned coupling-member, the two coupling-members constructed to automatically compensate for both lateral and vertical variances of` car alinements.

With the above purposes in viewv my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims and set forth in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation' showingportions of the Vsub-structures of two cars equipped with train pipe couplings constructed according to my invention;v Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal sectional elevation of companion `coupling-members in a coupled position, the supports for theA coupling-members being broken away; Fig.

:3 is a sectional plan taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional the flexible coupling-inember partly broken awayand partly in section and illustrates 'the springs which automatically center the fflexible head; Fig. 7 is atransverse sec` tional elevation through the two couplingmembers vin a partly coupled position showing the construction which prevents friojtional wear of the gaskets; and Fig. 8 is an inverted plan showing my improved train pipe coupling members and their positions relative to `a car which is shown by dotted lines.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings: 10 and 11 indicates the sublstructures of two railway cars.

12 and 13 designate the draw bars which are carried respectively by the structures `10 and 11. Depending from the draw bars 12 and 13 are the hangers 14 and 15 and secured to each of the hangers is a pair of train pipe coupling-members, each pair comprising a rigid coupling-member 16 and a flexible coupling-'member 17. In this connection it is to be understood that a car 4fully equipped with my train pipe coupling apparatus has at each end a pair of coupling-members, one a rigid memberl and the 3other a flexible member, thus each ear fully equipped has four coupling-members. -Each of the coupling members 16, designated. the

rigid coupling-ineinbers, comprises a stem V 18 which is secured to the hangers 14 by means of bolts 19. At the forward end of the stem 1S there is formed a socket 20 having the forwardly projecting arms 21 which constitute a furcated continuation of the stem 18. The inner margins of the arms form continuations of the upper andlower faces of the socket 20. Formed integral with the end of each arm 21 there is a relatively broad jaw 22 which will hereinafter be termed the fixed jaw The upper and lowerjmargins of the socket 2O each has a broad face 23 at right'angles to the stem face 24 a-lining with and arranged to` oppose 18, and each Vof the fixed jaws 22 has a broad the broad faces 23 of the socket.

Extending laterally and preferably Aformed integral with the arms 21v are the opposite'ly extended pairs of guide pins 25. Arranged for lateral movements upon the pins 25 are ythe movable jaws 26 which in transverse section,tasshown in Fig.l 4', are sub.- st'antially U-shape and provided with trans'- verse bores 27 which are arranged to receive the guide pins 25. Formed transverselythrough the upper and lower sides of the movable aws and through the arms 21 are openings arranged' to receive the con tractilecoil springs28 which normally tendl to holdi said jaws inwardly so that their inner faces are held to the arms 21.

Extended horizontally through each of the movablejaws 26 and on a median line thereof are the cavities 29, the outer forward ends of which terminate in gasket'ed orifices 30 which stand at right angles to the train,

line and which are the terminals of the train pipes. Formed in each of the movable jaws surrounding the gasketed orifices are the moved laterally with a minimum of friction,

Lhave provided the rollers 34 and 35 which engage respectively the broad faces 23 and 24 of the fixed socket and jaws. Carried by the. movable jaws 2G there is a nipple 36 to which is' secured' a flexible hose section 37 having at its free end a hose coupling-mem bel 38.

.739 designates a train pipe which connects with a steam heating system, or an air brake system, or with an air signalr system.

Each car fully equipped with my imfof the pipes 52 and impinging between the T-coupling 53 and the lowermost flange 51 of the frame 45. 'Thesecoil'springs are arranged tonormally hold the head 56 in about f thesame horizontal pljane as the stem-42 `1 the flexible coupling-member. l

proved apparatus has fourofthetrain pipes 39, each having at each end a flexible hoseV section 40 provided" with thev coupling-inem# bers 41 which connect with coupling-inembers,A such as 38. v

In the coupling-member 17, designated the flexible member, there is a stem 42 which is 5'4 may be relieved fromthe longitudinal imi' .longitudinally slotted and secured to the .hanger 15 by means of bolts 43 passing through the slots in order to prov-ide for al movement o-f the flexible coupling-member it.v Formedl at the forward end of the stem 42 lengthwise relative to the car carrying Extended rearwardly from the frame 45 arethef'anges 47 each of which carriesV an 1 the stem.

the stem 42 to the rearV of its hinge pointand alining with the-l bosses-48 are the bosses 49.AY

50 designa-tes contractile `coil Asprings held Y in place between the pairs of bosses 48and I49 andwhose functions are to normally hold the frame in longitudinal alinement with 'Extended forwardly fromV the frame'f45 are the flanges 51 arranged onejg above the other and atthe topyand Vbottomof the frame. Extended'throuoh o eninos formed Y ,in the lo-wermostflanges 51 are'the pipes 52,

each of which has at its upper end a T-coi'i-mr pling` 53; Secured to the T-couplingsopposite the ends of the pipes 5 2 are the guide foi'medin the uppermost flanges 51. EX-

ried by the pair of couplings 55isva head 56 `which tapers from itsrearmost end'oforf lrod's 54 which extend through `openings' wardly andy inwardly, and is formed to accu- `rately fit the socket and fixedv jaws ofthe vopposite or fixed coupling-member. Adjacent the rear of the head and lon each sideVv j face thereof there is a gasketed'orifice `57 which extends to the periphery of ther conx i vexed bosses 58 which,` when thertwo cou. pling-members are coupled, seat inthe con.

cavities 31 of the movable aws of the oppo.-V

site coupling-member.-

'rhergaskets in the. @amines si ma iii the fixed bosses 58 each normally stands slightly beyond theV faces of' said conca-vities:

and said bosses, butV by reason of the'formalti'o'n of the convexed bosses' and the formaltion4 'of the movable jaws, 1 e., the :channels 33" in the movable jaws, the gaskets in `the head 56 will noti engage theniovableH jaws during the vact of coupling, so that there willbe no wear ofthe l`tion.

gasketsby fric-v 59 designates a coil spring embracing each In order thatjthe pipes 52 and the? guides 'pacts I provide ar pair of rollers 60 which i are carried by the frame45 Vto engage each ofthe pipes 52.and the guiderods 54.

61 designates a` 'rol-ler Vcarried by the T- `coupling 53 and; arranged to engagerthe foruvard flat face of the frame 45. f

YFor the reason thatthe coupling of the Y cars,whi ch are equipped with my improved a f train pipe coupling-members, are brought to- Lgether, the head of `the flexible` member is iso brought into engagement with the jaws of the iixed member and expands or spreads apart the movable jaws of' the fixed member, the' impact being sufiicent to fully seat the head of the flexible member into the socket of the fixed member, at which point, that is the final seating point, the gasketed orifices or the terminals of each train pipe register, and the contractile springs acting upon the movable jaws of the fixed members draw the gaskets of the lixed jaws to a fiuid tight connection with the gaskets oi' the flexible member.

It is to be observed that in coupling, the impact of the coupling is at right angles to the gaskets so that the gaskets are not deteriorated by the impacts. It is to be observed further that, by reason of the clearance in the guides of the movable jaws, the gaskets are moved without friction through the movable jaws, so that there is no frictional wear of gaskets.

By reason of the flexible hose connections referred to I may connect a car equipped with my coupling-members to a car having the ordinary hose coupling devices.

By reason of the iuid tight connections between the train pipe terminals being made at right angles to the trend of the cars thel gaskets at the train pipe terminals are relieved from all of the wear by impacts in coupling.

I claim: l

l. In combination with a train pipe coupling member having laterally movable elements, each of which is provided with a train pipe terminal, a second coupling-member provided with train pipe terminals arranged to register with the pipe terminals in the first mentioned member, the terminals of each member standing substantially at right angles to the trend of the cars, and guides on each of said coupling-members. j

2. In a train pipe coupling, a couplingmember having fixed opposing jaws and opposing jaws movable at angles relative to the trend of a car, each of said movable jaws being provided with a train pipe terminal, and means acting on each of said movable jaws for moving them in given directions at right angles to the trend of the car.

3. A train pipe coupling, comprising a coupling-member, means for securing the coupling-member to a car, opposed fixed jaws, a socket at the base of the jaws, op-

posed jaws movable at right angles to the trend of the car, there being train pipe terminals in each of the movable aws, a second coupling-membercomprising a frame, means for mounting said frame on a car so that it may have longitudinal as well as lateral movements relative to the car, a tapering head carried by said frame and mounted so that it may be moved vertically relative to the frame, and there being train pipe terminals in said head arranged to register with the train pipe terminals in the first mentioned coupling-member.

4., In combination with a train pipe coupling-member provided with fixed elements containing train pipe terminals, a second train pipe coupling-member having laterally yielding elements containing train pipe-terminals, means on the `first mentioned coupling-member for spreading the elements containing the train pipe terminals on the other coupling-member so that the train pipe terminals of the two coupling-members may be brought to registration, and means acting on said movable elements containing the train pipe terminals for forcing the train pipe terminals into fluid tight connection.

5. In combination with a train pipe coupling-member having opposed xed jaws and opposed jaws movable in a direction at right angles to the trend of the car, there being depressions in said movable jaws and gasketed train pipe terminals located in said depressions, a second coupling-member comprising a tapering head arranged to act on said movable jaws of the first mentioned member to spread them, there being bosses at the rear end of the head arranged to fit the depressions in the movable jaws of the other coupling-member, gasketed train pipe terminals carried by said bosses, and means for supporting said head so that it may accommodate itself automatically to lateral and vertical dierences in the alinement of the first mentioned coupling-member.

G. A. train pipe coupling, comprising a fixed coupling-member having laterally movable elements containing train pipe terminals, a flexible coupling-member carrying a head arranged to operate the movable jaws of the first mentioned member when moved lengthwise relative thereto, there being train pipe terminals carried by said head arranged to register with the train pipe terminals of the irst mentioned coupling-member, and means acting on said movable jaws for holding the train pipe terminals when registered to fiuid tight connections.

7 A. train pipe coupling-member, comprising a stem arranged to be rigidly secured to a car, a pair of outwardly flaring fixed jaws formed integral with said stem and arranged one above the other, oppositely disposed laterally movable jaws, springs acting on said jaws to draw them in directions toward each other, there being gasketed orifices in each of the movable jaws, means for flexibly connecting each of the movable jaws with a train pipe, and channeled guides in each of the movable jaws in advance of the gasketed orifices.

8. A train pipe coupling-member, comprising a fixed support, a stem mounted for lengthwise movements relative to the support, a frame hingedly secured to the stem,

springs for holding the frame normally at name-to this specification', irl-'prsence of two right angles to the stem, ahead, and means. 'subscribing Witnesses. i

whereby the head may be supported by the` framopwhioh permit vertical movementsh of 51 thefhead relative tothe frame, there being, a 1

train pipe terminal in Said head. l

Inl testimony `Whereoh IV have signed my Copiesot thix pateiit may be obtained` for ve clentsi each, by addregsing the `4'Commissiomrer of l'aten'ci,V

f' Washingtol, D. E?"l JAsrER BLACKBURN. i v 

